Jacaranda from seed December 2018

[SWfloirda]

My introduction to bonsai was a seed kit from my daughter. The earliest pictures I can find are from January 2020. I had it sitting on the ground for an escape root. I chopped it that day.

 

[SWfloirda]

February then April.

 

[SWfloirda]

May 2020

 

[SWfloirda]

October

 

[SWfloirda]

Today. The root ball is more dense than I was expecting for a 2.5 year old tree but there was enough feeder roots for survival. Hopefully anyhow, it’s not looking very happy in my shade house.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Jacaranda is the most difficult tree I ever attempted to bonsai. I failed.

 

[SWfloirda]

Jacaranda is the most difficult tree I ever attempted to bonsai. I failed.

I don’t have my hopes set too high. I had three seeds germinate, one died from neglect, I planted one in the backyard and this one. The one in the ground is alive but not thriving by any means.From what I have heard they will only bloom when they’re not being constantly pruned and they grow so fast. There‘s a few large landscape trees in my neighborhood. They’re leggy and only attractive when blooming.

 

[Forsoothe!]

The flowers can drive people nuts, but the leaves are a foot & half long and reducing them is the problem. They are slender trees, and slow growing, so in combination with giant leaves that won't really reduce, per se, makes them the antithesis of "miniature". BUT, you're 10B and you can buy nursery stock and get a 5 or 10 year jump on it and have them as large bonsai with magnificent flowers. While you're at it, do the same with a Flamboyant & Copperpod and cover the primary color spectrum! For species with smaller compound leaves that are bonsai manageable try Desert Cassia or Lignumvitae for nice flowers or Desert Fern or Featherbush or Cuban Tamarind for nice foliage and crappy flowers. But if lived in Florida I'd have all of them...

 

[SWfloirda]

Put some wire on today. Working hard on these videos.

 

[SWfloirda]

 

[SWfloirda]

 

[Iowa newbie]

I started one about the same time as yours, its barely 1/4 the size, just not enough humidity and heat up north. It will hold on through winter but I fear a 20 year process to get anything close to work with. Is it worth selling off somewhere? Its in decent health and backbudding some, I just hate to throw it away.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I tried to grow some her in Southern CA. Only a couple sprouted. One lasted several months and died at < 2" tall. We had a few days of hot, dry wind. Even though I watered often, it dried up.

Jacaranda grow really well here once they are larger. Many college campuses here are lined with them. I think if I ever try one again, I'll have to start with one that is very large and not one from seed.

 

[SWfloirda]

I started one about the same time as yours, its barely 1/4 the size, just not enough humidity and heat up north. It will hold on through winter but I fear a 20 year process to get anything close to work with. Is it worth selling off somewhere? Its in decent health and backbudding some, I just hate to throw it away.

I don't think they're good for bonsai material at all. The only reasons I'm keeping mine around is because it was a gift and I can keep it outside all year.

 

[evanjt]

I don't think they're good for bonsai material at all. The only reasons I'm keeping mine around is because it was a gift and I can keep it outside all year.

I think they can make good bonsai. It just might be since they are not that common, there are not too many good examples to look to for inspiration.

Here is a picture of my favorite Jacaranda bonsai inspiration.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think they can make good bonsai. It just might be since they are not that common, there are not too many good examples to look to for inspiration.

Here is a picture of my favorite Jacaranda bonsai inspiration.
View attachment 397018

Yeah, making everybody's point that they are huge and I'm betting this guy is Indonesian and right on the equator. He's probably got a Poinciana, too. Nothing short of magnificent.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Dang! That is one tiny person!

 

[SWfloirda]

I think they can make good bonsai. It just might be since they are not that common, there are not too many good examples to look to for inspiration.

Here is a picture of my favorite Jacaranda bonsai inspiration.
View attachment 397018

That is not jacaranda. I’ve seen jacaranda bloom in the landscape and that’s not even close.

 

[Arnold]

A bouganvillea its much easier to get in bloom in pots than jacaranda, also the flowers in jacaranda are really big and you need to let the plant grow long. If I can I would try this dwarf cultivar that seems much easier to flower in small size: Jacaranda ‘Bonsai Blue’

 

[Perrywinkle]

I lived in Brazil for a while and saw many a Jacaranda tree. They sure are beautiful and I do know that some have been made into bonsai, albeit very large bonsai. If I were you I would just keep growing out that tree, trying to get as big and interesting of a trunk as possible to offset the large leaves. Maybe in 15-20 years you can have a good base to start working towards leaf reduction and ramification.

One concerning thing is that many sources I have read seem to say that Jacaranda does not like to flower when constrained in a bonsai pot.



I took this photo from a forum in Spanish. According to the poster, it is a true Jacaranda bonsai, not a Brazilian Rain Tree. The poster lives in Mexico and says that it has never flowered, despite being quite old.



From the same thread, proof that Jacaranda can flower in pots.

To be frank, I would grow Jacaranda to enjoy its form, beautiful bark and leaves rather than its flowers, much like a Crepe Myrtle bonsai.

Fortunately, when given the right conditions these trees are absolute monsters. They backbud like crazy and get beautiful bark when old.

Hopefully I was able to give you some useful imput.